The present invention relates to electronic flashing devices and more particularly to an article of jewelry such as a necklace which features a flashing light element that is operable at extremely low voltage of the order of little more than one volt and which possesses enhanced operational longevity.
Various devices have been known heretofore which utilize oscillator circuits to control the activation of indicator lights. Such devices, however, have generally been employed with installations which are stationary where a relatively high voltage power source is readily available. With the advent of linear integrated circuits attempts have been made to market battery-operable portable equipment. However, the power drain has been found to be great, and the use of such devices has not met with any degree of public acceptance. Even the employment of light emitting diodes has been found to constitute a drain upon the power source. For example, it is estimated that in such instances the customary 9 volt radio battery would last only a few hours. It has thus not been practical heretofore to produce a novelty item with electronic components such as a necklace or bracelet requiring a source of electric power because of the inordinate weight which would have to be carried and in view of the prohibitive cost of battery replacement.
Recently National Semiconductor Corp. designed a simple linear integrated oscillator circuit which has been marketed under the designation LM3909. The circuit is operable with a single cell battery havning a voltage as low as 1.1 volts. This development has made it possible to increase the longevity of the battery power source so as to be operable over a period of several months and has also minimized the weight of the electronics package. The availability of such an oscillator circuit has led to its use with low voltage batteries in indicator light applications such as are employed in emergency equipment, boat mooring floats, etc.
It will be appreciated that the various problems encountered in the design and maintenance of novelty articles such as articles of jewelry where the light emitting diode and its lead outs may be subjected to flexural stresses are quite different from those in the aforementioned fields. Repeated flexure of the relatively weak lead outs for the light emitting diode would normally result in the rupture of such lead outs and require repair or replacement of the diode well before the need to replace the battery would arise. It will, therefore, be recognized that despite the commercial availability of the LM3909 integrated circuit jewelry designers and others in the field of electronic novelty articles have apparently be unable to apply the technology represented by the LM3909 to the production of such articles.